A Sad Day for the Future of Children
The General Medical Council’s (GMC) verdict today concerning Dr. Andrew Wakefield brings together autism organizations across the United States who stand united in support of him, unequivocally renounce the GMC’s findings, and demand an investigation into possible conflicts of interests at the GMC. We further challenge the U.K. and U.S. governments to offer grants for gold standard research into why so many children with autism have gastrointestinal pathology, as well as any links between this pathology and the symptoms of autism, before all of the children of the world are affected.
Today's verdict by the General Medical Council epitomized their negligence in respecting all of the sound scientific studies worldwide replicating the findings of Dr. Andrew Wakefield. In the United States we will continue to fund studies replicating Wakefield’s work. We will focus more heavily on helping to educate the British public about the dangers of the MMR. We will look with renewed vigor into possible misconduct by the GMC. And, most importantly, we will continue to recover children from autism thanks, in large measure, to Dr. Wakefield’s pioneering work. We have witnessed and applaud the sustained courage and dignity of Dr. Andrew Wakefield. He has stood by the children, and we will stand by him.
Autism One
Autism Research Institute
Generation Rescue
National Autism Association
SafeMinds
Schafer Autism Report
Talk About Curing Autism
Unlocking Autism
Members of the Autism Collaboration
The court is a virus with shoes.
Posted by: B. Campaigne | February 01, 2010 at 05:01 PM
To Just Facts;
The paper was a "case study" or a "study of 12 cases". All had some commonality. The analysis was not intended to derive a statistical significance, but to suggest a "hypothesis", which would encourage further research.
Case studies are indeed science, its where good science begins.
Let the science move forward, without the witch hunts. There are no witches, just thousands and thousands of injured children with GI issues.
Posted by: michael framson | January 30, 2010 at 09:04 PM
Was Autism Speaks invited to sign this letter? Where is Autism Society of America?
Posted by: Shannon | January 30, 2010 at 06:40 PM
The initial research was with 12 children. however the fault lies in publishing a result which cannot be statistically significant. This is not science. There may be a link, but there is more doubt than certainty.
Posted by: Just facts | January 30, 2010 at 06:04 PM
Kevin D,
This is on Autism Speaks' website, reporting on the Wakefield decision: (I googled 'autism speaks andrew wakefield')
"GMC brands Dr Andrew Wakefield 'dishonest, irresponsible and callous' (UK)
Standing outside the General Medical Council yesterday, surrounded by crowds of supporters, Dr Andrew Wakefield appeared shell-shocked by the GMC's damning findings that he had been “dishonest, irresponsible and showed callous disregard for the distress and pain of children.” Rallying some of his usual bravado, he then declared himself “resolute and determined” in the face of disgrace."
From my observations, Autism Speaks is an ally of CDC, NIH, the vaccine makers.
Posted by: david burd | January 30, 2010 at 03:38 PM
The ONLY RELEVANT ISSUE ultimately is: Was Andy Wakefield's underlying finding (colitis in ASD children) as reported in The Lancet in 1988 ACCURATE? Let's find out. Follow the science.... The following investigations indicate more reearch is needed:
Krigsman (Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine Director of Gastroenterology Services, , et al., Clinical presentation and Histologic Findings at Ileocolonoscopy in Children with Autistic spectrum Disorder and Chronic Gastrointestinal symptoms. Autism Insights 2010:2 1-11.
Gonzalez, et al., Endoscopic and Histological Characteristics of the Digestive Mucosa in Autistic
Children with gastro-Intestinal Symptoms. Arch Venez Pueric Pediatr, 2005;69:19-25.
Balzola, et al., Panenteric IBD-like disease in a patient with regressive autism shown for the first time by wireless capsule enteroscopy: Another piece in the jig-saw of the gut-brain syndrome? American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2005. 100(4): p. 979-981.
Krigsman, et al., http://www.cevs.ucdavis.edu/Cofred/Public/Aca/WebSec.cfmconfid=238&webid=1245 (last accessed June 2007) (paper submitted for publication).
Balzola, et al., Autistic enterocolitis: Confirmation of a new inflammatory bowel disease in an Italian cohort of patients. Gastroenterology 2005;128(Suppl. 2);A-303. And Galiatsatos, P., et al., Autistic enterocolitis: Fact or fiction. Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology. 2009;23:95-98.
More investigation please....
Posted by: reynaud5 | January 30, 2010 at 12:16 AM
Dr. Andrew Wakefield is a GOOD man. His colleagues are good men and women. Let them do their research! Let researchers do their work. And let the chips fall where they may. Follow the science....
Posted by: reynaud5 | January 29, 2010 at 11:53 PM
Please look into conflict of interest in the GMC. We must stop conflicts of interest and greed destroying our health.
Posted by: Heidi N | January 29, 2010 at 09:38 PM
Autism Speaks is on the other side, so to speak.
Posted by: M.B. | January 29, 2010 at 09:31 PM
Where is Autism Speaks?
Posted by: Kevin D. | January 29, 2010 at 08:59 PM
excellent to hear! The kids need this advocacy!!
Posted by: jen | January 29, 2010 at 07:59 PM
perfect
Posted by: Cathy R. | January 29, 2010 at 10:02 AM
How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fool's hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn't help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game.
Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
-Bob Dylan, Hurricane
Posted by: Jack | January 29, 2010 at 08:52 AM